Oscar Wilde and the Catholic Church: A Love Story
Created by Anthony Oleszkiewicz on Thu, 12/16/2021 - 01:28
Oscar Wilde famously said “Catholicism is the only religion to die in." In fact, the man lived and indeed died by this philosophy. A writer who is perhaps most famous, excepting his obvious authorship, for what would be considered a sin in the eyes of the Catholic church, did in fact convert to Catholicism on his death bed. It is this seeming bit of irony that is worth investigating.
Timeline
Chronological table
| Date | Event | Created by | Associated Places | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1878 |
Wilde's Closest Call With CatholicismWilde's internal conflict with potential faith comes to a climax. He visits Reverend Sebastien Bowden at the Brompton Oratory in London, who was "known for his conversions among the well-to-do" (Ellmann, 93). In a letter Bowden writes to Wilde afterwards, the purpose of their confidential meetings becomes clear. Wilde seems to have told all his woes to the reverend and the revealed his incredible sadness with the state of his life. The reverend of course suggests a conversion to the Catholic faith, but promises not to force the issue, except that Wilde should come visit him again to once again talk. Instead of showing up on the scheduled day, Wilde sent to the reverend a box of lilies as a renunciation of the Catholic way of life. Until his deathbed twenty-two years later, this was the closest Oscar Wilde ever came to official conversion to faith. Ellmann, Richard. Oscar Wilde. Alfred A. Knopf Inc., 1988. pgs. 93-94 |
Anthony Oleszkiewicz | ||
| The end of the month May 1897 to 29 Nov 1900 |
Wilde Gets Involved With The Catholic ChurchAfter his release from prison for his infamous love affair, Wilde exits with a new lease on life. He immediately asks to be invited to join a monastery in order that he might practice Catholic teachings, but he is declined. At the news of their rejection, he wept (Ellmann 574, Hansen 259). From his release onward, Oscar Wilde will spend nearly every day until his death attending Catholic Mass (Hansen 259). His writings to Robert Ross during this time convey that he also attended confession and took mass as a way of cleansing himself of Paganism. He continues to interrogate Ross about (Hart-Davis 583). Sources: Ellmann, Richard. Oscar Wilde. Alfred A. Knopf Inc., 1988. Hart-Davis, Rupert, editor. The Letters of Oscar Wilde. Harcourt, Brace and World Inc., 1962. Hanson, Ellis. Decadence and Catholicism. Harvard University Press, 1997.
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Anthony Oleszkiewicz | ||
| 29 Nov 1900 |
Oscar Wilde Converts To CatholicismAs Wilde lay asleep in his deathbed, his friend Robert Ross summoned a Catholic priest to his side. Then, at Wilde's nonverbal request, Father Cuthbert Dunne performed the traditional rituals of a deathbed conversion to Catholicism, including baptism and anointment with oils. As Wilde was barely able to speak, there is much speculation about how genuine this last-minute decision was. Writer Richard Ellmann stresses that this was done perhaps without much repentance, or even consciousness, from Wilde. He instead quotes Ross as saying "I did this for my own conscience and a promise I had made...[It] may have been like putting a green carnation in his buttonhole." This could imply that the ritual was one last artistic flourish from Wilde, or even just a performance made on a half concious dying man without his awareness. Still, it was his last act before his passing. Ellmann, Richard. Oscar Wilde. Alfred A. Knopf Inc., 1988. |
Anthony Oleszkiewicz |